Stay-at-home socialising beats going down the pub

Stay-at-home drinking and socialising is on the rise as young Britons now prefer it to going out to pubs and bars, according to CGA Peach research highlighted in The Independent newspaper.

Figures from the CGA Peach Consumer Index revealed that people aged under 30 – traditionally the most gregarious – made an average of 1.44 visits to a friend’s home to meet up each week compared to 1.31 occasions on which they went out for a drink or 0.58 times they had a meal out.

The analysis was featured in an article in The Independent highlighting changing habits among the young. Click here to read

The research found that while still more socially active, under 30s were either choosing or forced to gather at a friend’s house more often than any other age group. The study showed that going for a coffee was now the third most popular leisure outing beating attending a concert or hitting a night club.

James Bennett of CGA Peach said: “It is fair to say that under-30s do have a greater tendency to spend more time at a friend’s house per week but still they make more visits per week into the leisure market than the average consumer.”

According to the latest Peach BrandTrack survey the average person aged under 34 was also more choosing about where they go out visiting 14 different branded food or drink outlets in the past six months compared to just 10 among the over 35s.

The CGA Peach research comes as government data shows households spent more on alcohol consumption at home than they did in pubs, bars and restaurants last year. According to the Office for National Statistics an average of £7.80 went on wine, beer and spirits brought from the off licence or supermarket – up 50p - compared to £7.40 spent in licensed premises. The change marks a reversal from 2011 when households spent 10p more drinking in public each week than they did within their own four walls.